Language Revival, recent projects, film and video resources for reversing heritage language loss

Language Revival - Recent Projects

"Language Keepers" 2006 - 2009
The National Science Foundation (NSF)

Passamaquoddy language revival using documentary film-style productions from episodes in the lives of language speakers to address the decline of language use in public (“visibility”), which is a precursor to language disappearance. (Please see “Philosophy”.) The programs will be used in language classes, with a dictionary project, and on tribal television and in the community. Funded by the National Science Foundation Endangered Language Program and implemented in partnership with the Waponahki Museum and Resource Center, Sipayik, Maine, and the Northeast Historic Film Archive. Project Dates: 2006 - 2009

Language of America – Native Cultural Survival in a Global Age:

A feature documentary with the Passamaquoddy, Wampanoag, and Narragansett Tribes of New England. The film addresses the causes of language loss and how a language can be revived. Estimated completion date: July, 2007 With support from: The Maine Humanities Commission, The Maine Community Foundation, The Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, The Rhode Island Commission for the Humanities.

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French Language Reacquisition Workshops

Waterville, Maine; Lewiston, Maine; and Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Workshop activities apply the idea of the “Brain Map” to help individuals discover that the language they thought they had “lost” is still in them. Former speakers become motivated to participate in Reacquisition speaker groups with specific activities to help them regain their language. Supported by: The Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Foundation, The Maine Community Foundation, and The Franco-American Genealogical Society, the Franco-American Heritage Center (Lewiston, Maine) and the City of Waterville Maine.

Below, Julia Schulz leads a group in Waterville, Maine.

Cajun French Language Reacquisition Workshops

October, 2006 - Lafayette Louisiana: group language reacquisition workshops in the Cajun French cultural tradition. Teacher training and local leadership development, leading to revival of French speaking among adults who feel they have "lost" the language.

With Support from: The National Park Service, Louisiane à la carte, Louisiana Folk Roots

Tribal Film/Video Archives as a Cultural and Educational Resource

Development of film/video archives for tribes that document elders, history, and change, cataloged for use in education, and multi disciplinary applications. With the Northeast Historic Film Archive. With Support from the Maine Arts Commission.

At left: State–of-the-art film/video storage vaults at Northeast Historic Film store videos and films of Passamaquoddy life retrieved for archiving and future use.

Waking Up French (Reveil) - The Repression and Renaissance of the French of New England. (2003) 81 minutes

www.wakingupfrench.com A documentary film in wide use in colleges, universities, local libraries, and community presentations that documents why people lose their heritage language and how they can regain it.

Funded by: Verizon Foundation, The Provincial Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada, The Maine Community foundation, The Maine Humanities Commission, the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Foundation

If I really Understand Si Je comprends bien- (1980) 50 minutes. The story of how Quebec saved its language.

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